The Payoff - NEVER BACK DOWN: NO SURRENDER

Seeing the recent teaser for BLACK DYNAMITE 2 [Update: oops, it's actually a teaser for OUTLAW JOHNNY BLACK, I saw the dynamite and jumped the gun] got me thinking about Michael Jai White again.  Truthfully, I’m always thinking about MJW. Mostly, I’m pondering why the hell is he not the certified national treasure that he ought to be.  The man has it all.  He’s a great actor with superb comic timing, an amazing martial artist, and he has a screen presence you can feel from the next room.  BLACK DYNAMITE was a rare achievement, mixing a genuinely hilarious spoof with totally legit action.  So why is he still in the land of under the radar VOD movies?  Don’t get me wrong, some of the most jaw dropping action flicks in over a decade have been low budget video releases, but they are far from the public eye.  

Of course, the low budget world has its advantages.  The lack of studio interference allows for greater freedom.  Plots can be crazier, characters quirkier, and, most importantly, the action can be given the loving attention not afforded on a big budget, strict schedule shoot.  This world also gave MJW the chance to direct, with 2011’s NEVER BACK DOWN 2: THE BEATDOWN.  In the tradition of UNDISPUTED II, it’s a sequel to a bigger budget theatrical release that has almost no relationship to the original.  NBD2 was a solid flick with a positive tone, but while MJW was the highlight of the film, he stuck to a Mr. Miyagi role and left the fighting to his pupils.  That’s a cruel tease in my book.  

Five years later, MJW does my book right with the redundantly titled yet thoroughly satisfying NEVER BACK DOWN: NO SURRENDER.  

The Capsule:

After a successful turn as a fight trainer rekindles his fire, fallen UFC champion, Case Walker (Michael Jai White) is back in the ring.  All he can get are two-bit bouts, though, since his uncompromising fight ethic makes him dust chumps so quickly that no one wants to fight him.  He gets a glimpse of the major leagues when he bumps into his old pal Brody James (Josh Barnett).  Brody has signed up with high profile, no holds barred Primortal Combat (PFC), and he wants Case to train him for the big fight.  Brody needs all the help he can get, because his opponent is the 7-foot ‘roid raging “Psycho” Caesar Braga (Nathan Jones, better known as the dude who tore out a truck engine with his bare hands in MAD MAX: FURY ROAD).  Case reluctantly agrees and joins Brody in Thailand, much to the irritation of the suspicious PFC training crew.  As Case’s striped down, no-nonsense methods start showing results, he catches the eye of the media, and PFC head Hugo Vega (Esai Morales).  The slimy promoter thinks Case headlining the Braga fight will sell more that with Brody, and is not above ruining a man’s life to see it happen.  Can Case come out of the fight with his friendship, his honor, and his skeleton intact?  

NEVER BACK DOWN: NO SURRENDER is one of those sequels you can jump into without needing to see the earlier movies.  All the important details are established up front.  Case is an incredible fighter.  He cares more about integrity than putting on a show.  He has zero tolerance for bullshit.  He is too tough to spell his name with a “y”.  And not matter how much he scowls, he’s a total sweetheart.  

Case has a similar moral compass as Bone, MJW’s mysterious, street fighting avenger from BLOOD AND BONE, only more grounded and reluctant.  All Case wants to do is keep to himself and do what he does, but he has that kind of aura that draws well-meaning underdogs and misfits to him like a magnet.  As much as he might want to tell everyone to piss off, it just isn’t in him.  That doesn’t mean he has to be happy about it, though.  MJW gives some of the best annoyed expressions in the business, right up there with Timothy Olyphant and Michael Shannon (though I think that is just Shannon’s regular face).  

Case is in for a culture shock when he joins Brody’s training team in Thailand.  Not from the foreign city (whose locations are used exceedingly well for a modestly budgeted film), but from Brody’s flashy and indulgent lifestyle.  Case is a fighting purist, caring only about the art of perfecting body and mind.  He has no time for Brody’s fancy gym and oversized entourage, including Brody’s PFC approved, Confederate flag tattoo wearing coach, Matty (Stephen Quadros).  He walks right past all the expensive training gear and sets up shop in the corner of the gym, literally building his training station from junk he found on the streets.  

This is one of my favorite parts of the movie.  In the beginning, Case is mocked by the entire gym for being a crazy outsider, a joke.  He practices his unorthodox routines on stacks of tires and plywood stands, ignoring all the jeers, politely countermanding Matty’s recommendation for Brody.  Over time, though, as Case’s methods start to bear fruit, he wins everyone over.  He becomes a begrudging mentor to the hanger-on gym kids, detoxifies the atmosphere, and even gains the respect of not-as-bad-as-he-first-seems Matty (he should still get rid of that tattoo, though).  

Of course, he doesn’t win over eeeverybody in the gym.  Cobra (Eoin O'Brien) is the classic arrogant asshole who is idolized for his ruthlessness in the ring.  We instantly hate him because he smirks at Case’s training techniques and loudly asks his bros, “What the hell is this Bruce Lee shit?”  He gets even worse when confronting Case directly, laying on one racial slur after another, like calling him Blacky Chan.  Case just frowns and ignores him, but when Cobra later asks around for a sparring partner, guess who volunteers?  There is a more impressive fight coming, but watching Case wipe the floor with this dumbass is by far the most satisfying.

Much of the movie consists of Case training, motivating, and being a good guy to people.  He takes time to squeeze in an adorably awkward romantic subplot with Brody’s publicist, Myca (Gillian White).  I liked her right away from the way she called—and shot down—Brody on all his casual sexual harassment bullshit.  MJW gets to use some great self-deprecating humor, showing that while Case is the consummate professional at fighting, he is a bumbling mess in social situations.  

MJW also throws in a few quick cameos that land well with action fans.  Being in Thailand, there is the obligatory appearance from Tony Jaa.  No fight, unfortunately, but his scene—playing himself—is amusingly ridiculous.  The tastiest bone we are thrown comes from JeeJa Yanin, star of CHOCOLATE (not the Johnny Depp one) and RAGING PHOENIX.  She has a minor role as a derelict-looking gym member quietly training in the background until she steps out of the shadows to kick the crap out of a ring bully.  Even better than the Gina Carano cameo fight in BLOOD AND BONE.  Short but oh so sweet.

Esai Morales’ Hugo Vega is a complex character.  On the one hand, he is a deplorable, heartless businessman who bullies and demeans his fighters into doping.  Plus, he came up with the name Primortal Combat, which is not only dumb, but doesn’t have enough words to abbreviate as PFC.  On the other, he arranges Case to be in the big fight, so thanks for that.

Before realizing Vega played dirty pool to get Brody out of the running, and despite hating the guy, Case allows a one million dollar paycheck to lure him into a contract with PFC (I swear, I almost type KFC every single time).  Of course, he gets about one minute to feel good about before one of his devoted pupils gives him the old, “I guess a million dollars would make me betray my principles, too” line.  Cue the irritated scowl and Case’s mission to stick it to Vega.

Don’t worry, MJW isn’t a bastard, he doesn’t deprive us of Case V Braga.  And yes, the payoff is worth the wait.  Even without his transparent rubber Rictus mask, Nathan Jones is a monster.  MJW is not a small man, but Jones towers over him like it was being shot by Peter Jackson.  It’s all real, though.  This is where this sort of movie shines.  All the action is shot in long, wide takes.  None of the Hollywood, quick cut tight shots designed to fool you into thinking something cool happened.  The fight is well balanced, as well.  For the first time, Case doesn’t completely dominate.  There are some dicey moments where it looks all over for him.  Then comes the great gloves off moment, one that feels more earned than predictable, when Case locks down and delivers.  

Michael Jai White has a half-dozen pots on the stove.  Coming up for him is the Olympic dream team of action stars, TRIPLE THREAT (I’m not sure if he is pro or anti threat), and a role in the next movie by S. Craig Zahler, director of BONE TOMAHAWK and BRAWL IN CELLBLOCK 99, that has me excited (and nervous).  And, of course, BLACK DYNAMITE 2 OUTLAW JOHNNY BLACK.  If those don’t elevate MJW to superstar status, I just don’t understand you, America.

C Chaka

 

Bet On The Underdog - BLOOD AND BONE

Apologies to Sam Jackson, but Michael Jai White is the baddest motherfucker on the planet.  No one can rock a fight scene quite like him.  He doesn’t need wires or CGI or editing tricks to kick four dudes in the face all at once, he just does it.  He's more than just a great martial artist, though. He also has serious acting chops. The man can project gravitas like nobody’s business, and he has great comedic timing (see BLACK DYNAMITE, no seriously, see it).  And if you are looking for a purely heroic, fighting for the underdog kind of badass, and who isn´t these days, look no further than 2009 DTV masterpiece, BLOOD AND BONE.   

The Capsule:

A mysterious stranger named Bone (Michael Jai White) rolls into L.A. like a storm; his mind on a mission.  With the help of Pinball (Dante Basco), a small time promoter with a big mouth, he starts working his way up the underground fighting circuit, one pulverized opponent at a time.  Or in some cases, several at a time.  It’s not money or fame he is after, though.  Bone is working his way up the ladder to get to James (Eamonn Walker), a hotheaded crime boss with aspirations of the big leagues.  James wants into the Consortium, an organization controlling the multimillion dollar illegal fight racket.  He’ll need Bone’s skills to do it.  What James doesn’t know is that Bone has a promise to keep, and he's going to take down James piece by piece in order to honor it.

I prefer my action heroes to be flawed, in most circumstances.  I like them in the mold of DIE HARD’s John McClane; fallible but determined.  They make mistakes, they get scared, they get hurt.  Invincible characters just aren’t compelling, generally.  It’s hard to invest in a character who does everything right.  There are no stakes, no fear –realistic or otherwise—that the character won’t come out on top.  Ultimately, they are just boring. 

Now, forget all the shit I just said, because it in no way describes Bone.  Michael Jai White plays Bone with such confidence, presence, and charisma it doesn’t matter that he outclasses ever single chump in this movie.  His unwavering confidence is what makes him captivating. He’s like a precision machine.  You want to see what he can do.  It’s not just the confidence, though.  Bone is also thoughtful, observant, and most importantly, humble.  Mixing arrogance with confidence makes someone you want to see fall (or at least get taken down a bit).  You root for the quietly self-assured type.  That character deserves to win. 

It also helps that he is constantly underestimated by his enemies.  Now, Michael Jai White is an intimidating guy. He’s big and clearly in great shape.  Some of his opponents are mountains, though.  And as imposing as Bone is, he’s still only one guy.  Part of the joy in this movie is in knowing these cocky bastards have no idea what they are getting themselves into.  

The opening scene sets things up perfectly.  It starts in prison, with a whole crew of mean ass inmates surrounding Bone when he’s in the bathroom.  They taunt him about the unpleasant things they plan to do to his person.  Bone reacts like they are a bunch of rambunctious kids running around the living room.  He gives them to the count of 5 to get the hell out of there.  The half dozen knuckleheads, all with shanks, cannot believe what this guy is saying.  They don’t even let him get to five before rushing him.  Bone proceeds to absolutely destroy the entire group before they can lay a finger on him.  It’s a perfect Sergio Leone style introduction to a character who best not be fucked with.

Another nod to Leone is that Bone is kept mysterious.  He’s like the Man With No Name, except, you know, with a name.  We learn a small amount of backstory in a flashback (Bone had a twin brother who died, because the world is not awesome enough to contain two Michael Jai Whites), but that’s it.  The movie never reveals where he came from, why he was in prison, how he got out, or how he became such an amazing fighter.  Combined with his almost inhuman skill, it gives him an almost mystic presence.  He’s like a spirit of justice, materializing out of nowhere to right wrongs.  Except that spirits of justice don’t hang out in prison playing chess and beating the hell out of gang rapists, so there’s probably nothing supernatural going on.  

The movie isn’t all grim and face punchy. There is a nice amount of humor to lighten things up.  Dante Basco’s Pinball is introduced at the bottom of the street fighting heap, promoting novelty fighters like a huge brute in curlers going by Mommy Dearest.  Pinball is the kind of over the top character that would easily become grating after a few minutes, except that he and MJW play off each other so well.  Bone is always looking irritated and slightly embarrassed whenever Pinball is doing his smack talking promotion thing.  He breaks his intense, brooding stare at just the right moment to give Pinball a quick and disapproving sideways glance.  Bone warms up to him as the movie goes on, and Pinball gets more self-reflective and learns to turn it down a little.  Just a little.

Bone also develops a sweet relationship with Tamara (Nona Gaye), who he’s renting a room from.  She is just as mysterious as Bone, but in a nurturing way, not an arm snapping way.  She looks after a house full of kids who were either abandoned or lost their family.  It’s never established that she is officially a foster parent, though, so it’s kind of like she’s an outlaw caregiver.  The Nanny With No Name.  Although, again, with a name.  Everyone has names, I should just leave that one alone.

I should also note that there is a cameo fight staring Gina Carano of HAYWIRE fame.  The director had to limit the shared screen time between her and MJW to avoid people going blind from the sheer awesomeness.

Eamonn Walker’s James is a fantastic villain, and the perfect counterpoint to Bone.  He’s the definition of arrogance, a man who thinks of himself as more important than those around him.  He doesn’t drink, smoke, or swear.  He puts on the air of refinement, quoting the Art of War, and Genghis Khan.  No matter how hard he tries, though, he cannot escape his own crippling insecurity that deep down, he’s nothing but a lowlife thug.  That self-hatred is always seething just below his cool exterior, waiting to explode in violence and cruelty.  One second he is talking casually, the next he is running down a prostitute for no reason at all.  Even his right hand man is constantly nervous around him, especially when James makes him hold up the raw meat to feed his vicious attack dogs. 

There is a amazing scene where James is having a relaxed dinner with a colleague, an oblivious jerk named Daryl.  We know he’s a jerk because he has a sweater draped over his shoulders and is going on and on about golf.  He gets embarrassed when his girlfriend turns on the stereo and it plays “Dance Hall Days”.  James asks “You think the brothers aren’t down with Wang Chung?” and starts to sing along.  Daryl and his girlfriend get all excited, like it’s karaoke night, but James’ crew start looking nervous.  They know what’s coming.  Just before the chorus, James pulls out his sword cane and runs Daryl through.  It was a completely psychotic move, but in his defense, the guy would not shut up about golf.

James’ big dream is to leave the streets behind and join The Consortium, a group of super rich, elitist criminals who setup the big fights.  It’s just the kind of vaguely ominous title that a bunch of self-aggrandizing assholes would call themselves.  You know, like The Syndicate, or The Cabal, or The Trump Organization.  Normally these guys wouldn’t have anything to do with the likes of James, but he has an in with one of the members.  Franklin (Julian Sands, at his aristocratic, racist best) is willing to vouch for him, if he can come up with a five million dollar wager and a fighter that can stand up against Franklin’s top man. 

The climax of the movie is Bone pitted up against Franklin’s fighter, who is unfortunately not named Blood, but Pretty Boy Price (Matt Mullins).  Again, there is no doubt who the winner will be, but the fun comes from watching this cocky jackass, who doesn’t even bother to take off his suit jacket before the fight, strut around like he isn’t going to break a sweat.  He does break a sweat, along with other body parts.  It’s the longest single fight of the movie, and Bone does take a few serious hits, but it’s all about wearing Price down, taking the pride out of his step.  The fight is filmed with the same wide angle, long take style as all the others, allowing for a serious appreciation of the choreography and the athleticism. 

For Bone, it isn’t about the fight, it’s about completely ruining James.  [Spoiler] Just when he has Price pinned, poised to break his arm, Bone glares at James and taps out, forfeiting the match.  James’ five million and any chance of getting into the Consortium is gone.  Infuriated, he rushes Bone with a katana.  Franklin, being a sport, throws Bone a sword, too.  But because he is so supremely badass, Bone throws away the sword and just keeps the scabbard.  Now at this point, any sane person would have dropped the katana and said “fuck it, I’m done.”  James, as we know, is not a sane man.  It does not go well for him.  Bone is too noble to kill the chump, so he leaves him to an even worse fate.  Franklin is not as noble.  

It is one of the greatest crimes of cinema that BLOOD AND BONE didn’t get a sequel.  The adventures of Bone, going town to town providing justice for the underdog, could easily have become a franchise.  Director Ben Ramsey had only done one feature before this (LOVE AND A BULLET), but he showed himself more than capable of creating a lean, focused action movie, and he works well with MJW.  But the forces of evil keep us deprived of a BLOOD AND BONE II.  And as long as we are talking conspiracy theories, who can explain how this movie, along with the majority of MJW’s other starring features, is only available on DVD, not Blu Ray?  That is some bullshit.  Why are we being denied hi-def Michael Jai White?  We can take it.  I blame the Consortium.

C Chaka